Motivation
by Miss Chang Po
Summary: KxK One shot rated as such for a lil' curse-word. Just how did Kenshin get out of Rakuninmura? rxr please?


05/07/04  
  
Author's Note – Konnichi-wa, minna-san! Yes, yes, I'm still alive! And I bring with me the one shot Nataku-chan so blatantly (thanks a lot, pal! ::Nataku-chan, elsewhere sneezes and grins innocently:: ) foretold. Hopefully, it won't get me flamed to Jingoku... I hear the weather's not too nice this time of year. Besides, I'm very sensitive. .;  
  
So, for all of those of you out there who take offense easily BE FOREWARNED! This is a, yes that's right, Post-Jinchuu humor/romance fic. I don't believe it's ever been done yet, so I foolishly believed I'd give it a try. It's not really spoilerific, but if you haven't read this arc or watched Seisouhen, it's all on you.  
  
But anyways, for all you die-hard angsty/romance fans out there, I assure you, it's not poking fun at Jinchuu, or Tomoe, or Enishi, or Rakuninmura or anything like that. So, to cover my ass, I shall explain. We all know that Kenshin went to Rakuninmura after he believed Kaoru to be dead right? Anyway, many of us know Tomoe also appeared to Kenshin and managed to get him to leave the blasted place after his friends' attempts had already failed. I have yet to read the Jinchuu arc of the manga (but damn if I want to, does anybody know a good distributor?) and I didn't feel like busting out my OVA, so this is merely my fluffy, humorous, sleep-deprived, half-assed take on how Kenshin explains to Kaoru how he managed to get out of Rakuninmura.  
  
I hope I've completely covered myself. ::takes a once over:: Oops... missed a spot.  
  
Disclaimer – Rurouni Kenshin is property of Watsuki Nobuhiro-sama and Shueisha-Fuji TV. I'm merely a deranged fan who's had too much sugar and not enough sleep.  
  
Enjoy.  
  
Motivation  
  
She'd told him she was alive; she was safe from injury and merely waiting for his return. Still, he could not bring himself to move. She'd been captured by one of the people who deserved revenge upon him more than anything. The guilt was still too heavy for his soul to bear – if he had not left her alone, she never would have been taken. Had he not ever entered her life, she never would have been made a target in the first place.  
  
Had he not killed Tomoe, had he not betrayed her memory in Enishi's eyes, if only... if only... He'd failed them all. He deserved to be here in Rakuninmura. He deserved to die.  
  
She'd only smiled at him then; that same gentle smile she'd made when she was alive – the one that revealed so much and so little at the same time. Again she forgave him; again she urged him to return to his friends and loved ones.  
  
Oh, how he wanted to, but he could not. He could not stain them with his guilt. They'd already suffered enough on his behalf. They were better off without him, weren't they?  
  
This time she did not respond. Walking towards him slowly, gracefully, she reached down and grasped his hands, pulling him upwards. Where she found the strength, he did not know, but soon he was on his feet, standing face to face with her.  
  
"You have your answer now, anata." She said softly. "You are free to go."  
  
He only stared at her with tired, confused eyes. Go? Didn't she understand? This was where he had to stay. He no longer had the strength to figh---  
  
She gave him a determined look, striding towards him as she rolled up the sleeves of her kimono. Before he could ask what she was doing, she had reached down behind him, extended her hand and...  
  
Blue eyes were now staring up at him disbelievingly.  
  
Stunned by her change in demeanor, Kenshin's violet eyes blinked back at her curiously. Had he said something wrong? "Oro?"  
  
Kaoru straightened her shoulders and closed her eyes with a deep, cleansing breath. She remained this way for several more moments, causing Kenshin's confusion to turn to worry.  
  
"Kaoru-dono...?" he called out tentatively. "Is something wrong?"  
  
She opened her eyes, her expression neutral. "You know, Kenshin," she replied. "If you don't want to tell me the truth, that's fine... but you don't have to make things up." "Oro?" His face took on a wounded expression. "Sessha would never lie to you, Kaoru-dono..."  
  
She blinked for a few more moments, her expression turning to one of disbelief again. "So, you mean to tell me that she..." A light blush crept over her face. "T-to get you out of Rakuninmura, Tomoe-san..."  
  
Seeing her blush prettily Kenshin laughed nervously, rubbing the back of his head absently. "Ano... yes...?"  
  
"She actually...I mean... there?" He nodded. "Eeehh... really?"  
  
"Does that bother you, Kaoru-dono?"  
  
She blinked again, this time in surprise. "Wha...? Oh, no... no of course not." She exclaimed. "It just doesn't seem like something..." She cleared her throat, trailing off. "Um... what I mean is..." She plastered on a cheerful grin. "It worked for Torumaru-kun, ne?"  
  
Remembering the incident with sumo-apprentice and Kaoru's un-orthodox methods of motivation, Kenshin looked down at his feet, flustered. Sano had made a whole big deal afterwards about how he never would have made it without Kaoru's 'encouragement'. That of course, had earned him a well- placed pinch from the Kendo instructor herself. The lucky bastard...  
  
'Oro... did I just think that...?'  
  
At this point, it was hard to tell who looked more embarrassed. Kenshin groaned inwardly; why had he bothered to tell her this again...? Glancing over at her quickly, he remembered. It was because she had wanted to know... duh.  
  
After all, she deserved to know the truth, didn't she? At least that's what Misao had been saying after she had been hounding him about it for weeks after his recovery. No one had uttered a word about the incident so that he could be the one to tell her. After all, it was kind of personal.  
  
A small sound roused him out of his thoughts. He oro'd once again, turning to look at his Kaoru-dono who looked as though she were having a hard time trying to contain herself. Her shoulders were hunched up as her body shuddered every once in a while.  
  
"Kaoru-dono?" He touched her shoulder gently and she jumped, letting forth peels of laughter. "Um... is something Sessha said funny?"  
  
She wiped a few tears from her eyes, looking up at him with blue depths filled with mirth. "S-sorry, Kenshin..." she said between breaths. "I know I shouldn't laugh... but..but..." She began laughing again, doubling over to hold her sides. "It's... all... just so funny...!"  
  
"Oro?"  
  
"I was just thinking..." She took a few breaths to calm herself, but the effort proved useless. "I was just thinking... what if Tsubame had tried to get you up that way? Or Yahiko?"  
  
Could his face get any redder? Holding a hand to his cheek, he supposed it could. Though he felt a little awkward having her laughing at him so, he decided to humor her for the mere fact he liked the way her face lit up when she was laughing. If she was happy... that was all that matter...  
  
"Ano..." he said with a slight pout, gaining her attention. "I don't think either one of them would have managed to get the same affect."  
  
She was giggling now, her eyes still twinkling. "Well, -hee hee- there's always Sanosuke, or Misao-chan."  
  
"Sessha does not think so, Kaoru-dono."  
  
"Giggle...Aoshi?"  
  
He cringed, getting a visual. "Sessha would much rather a kodachi through the temple."  
  
She giggled. "How about Saitoh then?"  
  
"Gods no, Kaoru-dono!" He shook his head furiously. No mental images, no mental images, no mental images! Gah!!  
  
Laughing out loud, she paused to make a face. "Ew, I just got a visual." He smirked. Justice had been served then. "Who else does that leave then?" His eyes were drawn to her fingers tapping daintily against her bottom lip. "There's Tae-san... Gensai-sama and the girls... though I don't think it would have been good for them to be there."  
  
He noticed her sober immediately. He nodded in agreement. "Sessha does not think so either, Kaoru-dono."  
  
"The only other person I can think of is Megumi-san," Kaoru replied. She looked over at him, her eyes searching. "Would she have been able to..."  
  
Was he the only one who noticed how quickly the mood had changed? Something told him she was no longer teasing him. Placing a hand over hers, he looked at her. "Kaoru-dono..." he replied softly. "None of them would have been able to bring me out of that place... no matter what they tried." He closed his eyes at the hurt expression that passed over her face. "I went there because I had given up... life was no longer worth living." 'Because I had lost you...' But he couldn't tell her that... not yet at least.  
  
"And Tomoe-san..." Her voice was suddenly strained. "Was the only one able to bring you out of it."  
  
He smiled at her sadly; she didn't get it. "Tomoe died because of me... and when Jinchuu occurred, I felt as though I had failed her once again." He paused as Kaoru's hands tensed underneath his. Before she could interrupt him, he began speaking again. "Even though she is no longer among the living, she encouraged me not to give up. She reminded me of what was at stake."  
  
"I see." She replied softly.  
  
He looked at her. "Does that upset you?"  
  
She shook her head quickly. "No! I mean... I'm glad that you were able to tell me." She replied softly. "I'm happy you felt comfortable enough to confide in me about this." Kaoru looked up at him, her eyes shining with sincerity. "It means a lot to me, Kenshin. Thank you."  
  
Kenshin only smiled. Releasing her hands, he stood up and began making his way back towards the wash. However, he stopped halfway, looking back at the young woman sitting on the dojo steps. "Kaoru-dono?"  
  
She blinked, looking up at him. "Yes?"  
  
He gave her a gentle smile. "Tomoe is not the only person who would have been able to do such a feat."  
  
Blue eyes looked up at him curiously. "She isn't?" He shook his head and Kaoru could almost swear he was grinning.  
  
"Torumaru was very lucky to have you as an instructor," he replied. "If you ever find Sessha slacking off on his chores... feel free to 'encourage' him in the same way." And with at, he walked back towards the laundry line, very aware of the blushing girl he left in his wake.  
  
End  
  
Author's Notes –  
  
Um... yeah... I suppose I should explain myself.  
  
Nataku-chan – I suppose you should. Just wait'll you hear this one, minna.  
  
::gives her a look:: ANYway... I was watching Rurouni Kenshin on Cartoon Network late one night (why'd they take it off? Whyyyyy?) And I was watching the episode in which that runaway sumo guy, Torumaru comes and seeks refuge in the Kamiya dojo. Kaoru, being Kaoru, offers to help – thus meaning she trains him to become a better sumo wrestler. (I suck at details, guys, so please no one take offense if I'm butchering this?) Anyway, getting straight to the point, he's ready to give up and he asks her to give him a confidence booster, i.e. a pinch on the butt just like his mother used to do.  
  
And thus, I'm sitting here eating popcorn and drinking way beyond a legal amount of ice tea and I start laughing my head off at the possibility of Kenshin being the one getting his ass pinched. And of course, this started so many ideas for a fic buzzing around in my head.  
  
My first thought was having one where Kenshin was jealous because Kaoru would have never considering pinching him like she did Torumaru (twice, mind you). Then, that gave way to an ending in which she chases him around the dojo trying to pinch him. Unfortunately, regardless of how interesting that would have been, once I actually started writing, this is what I ended up with. Hope nobody's offended. If so, please don't be too, harsh... I'm currently typing up another chapter (finally!) for 'Heart of Space, Dove of Peace' and I don't want to lose the motivation –teehee!-  
  
Ja ne, minna!  
  
Remember the 3 R's! 


End file.
